spiritual perspective on music August 11, 2003 Issue

Songs of reverence and wonder

By Stephen Lapointe

I Well Remember the journey three friends and I took last autumn to hear contemporary folk artist Peter Mayer for my first time. We drove for two hours on the interstate, past strip malls, through miles of Generica. Finally leaving the beaten path, we found ourselves at the crest of a hill on a narrow lane lined with trees bursting with fall colors. Soon I was ushered into the world of Mayer's music.

What I found in this world was an artist, who as both songwriter and acoustic guitarist charts the journey past cynicism to the beauty of hope and faith. Some songwriters, mired in problems of their personal lives, focus on the tares. Mayer finds the wheat, and his fans are reaping the harvest.

Minnesota-based Mayer is currently on tour for his latest CD, Earth Town Square. With this collection, he explores the promise of community and the holiness of nature. Tuneful melodies and harmonies support his carefully crafted lyrics in arrangements that explore everything from the percussive possibilities of acoustic guitar to the richness of a church choir.